Outdoor security cameras and dashcams capture dramatic evidence of a startling sound and bright fireball Tuesday night over a broad swath of southern Michigan and northern Ohio. (Two videos are below.)
The overhead drama around 8:05 p.m. was a meteor that broke up with a massive boom as it entered the atmosphere. It reportedly was seen and heard as far as Grand Rapids, Kalkaska and Toledo, prompting calls that kept 911 dispatchers busy.
Jeez, just saw a big flash and then a huge boom. Meteor over SE Michigan.
— Kevin Rupp (@LabratSR) January 17, 2018
"I was driving down Big Beaver and noticed what looked like a roman candle falling just south of Big Beaver by Springdale," John Burpee of Birmingham posts on Facebook.
Witnesses filled social media with questions and descriptions. Many people wondered initially if it was lightning or a DTE Energy transformer failure.
♦ Update: Meteor pieces reportedly landed around Mt. Clemens in Macomb County, according gto WDIV.
In a sign of how we get news now, social media was the first source of information and images.
Thank you Twitter for the quick answer to my "what the hell was that loud boom that just shook my house" question. #MichiganMeteor
— Mike A (@mikea71) January 17, 2018
And it already has a twitter account (@MichiganMeteor) so you know it's true
— Mark Kunz (@MarkAKunz) January 17, 2018
These two soundless videos show the action, starting with Mike Austin's dashcam view on northbound I-75 near Bloomfield Hills: